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Jesse Jackson, Jr. Charged Amid Rolexes, Furs and Fedoras

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oday, former Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. was charged with conspiracy, mail fraud making false statements, wire fraud, and criminal forfeiture for allegedly misusing over $700,000 in funds from his campaign account.

Now that detailed charges have been listed against former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., the incredibly silly things that brought a promising political career to a halt have been revealed.

All with campaign funds.

Former Rep. Jackson was charged today for misusing $750,000 in campaign money for personal expenses that included trivial items and expensive bling in some cases connected to entertainers. The items included:

— $43,350 gold-plated Rolex watch
— $9,587.64 in children’s furniture
— $582,772.58 of purchases for personal use
— $20,000 in Michael Jackson memborabilia.
— $5,000 for a football signed by U.S. Presidents
— $10,000 worth of Bruce Lee Memorabilia

A statement from former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr released today read:
“Over the course of my life I have come to realize that none of us are immune from our share of shortcomings and human frailties. Still I offer no excuses for my conduct, and I fully accept my responsibility for the improper decisions and mistakes I have made. To that end I want to offer my sincerest apologies to my family, my friends and all of my supporters for my errors in judgment and while my journey is not yet complete, it is my hope that I am remembered for the things that I did right.”

Additionally it was reported that Jackson’s wife Sandi reached a deal with prosecutors.
Dan Webb and Tom Kirsch, attorneys for Sandi Jackson, issued the following statement today:

“Today, Sandi Jackson reached an agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to plead guilty to one count of tax fraud. Ms. Jackson has accepted responsibility for her conduct, is deeply sorry for her actions, and looks forward to putting this matter behind her and her family. She is thankful for the support of her family and friends during this very difficult time.”

About the Author

Lauren Victoria Burke

Lauren Victoria Burke is a writer, speaker, strategist, comms expert and political analyst. She created Crewof42.com, a blog that covers the work of Black members of Congress, in 2009. She's been a former staffer for the Senate Democratic Policy Committee and Director of Communications for Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) and has had a very diverse career in politics and media. Ms. Burke appears regularly on NewsOneNow with Roland Martin on TVOne and has been seen on MSNBC. She holds a B.A. in History from The American University. E-mail anytime: LBurke007@gmail.com. Twitter: @Crewof42. Instagram: LVB325.
The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author, and have complete editorial independence from any Politic365 partners, sponsors, or advertisers.

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